Here’s the thing: recycling takes a minimal amount of time and effort, but yields infinite benefits for our ecosystem and environment. This means everyone should be recycling! According to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), only 30% of Americans are recycling regularly. If we could double this percentage, that means saving an equivalent of over 300 million barrels of oil each year!

Recycling makes a difference no matter how little or infrequent you get around to it. Everyone should start recycling as soon as possible. There are several local drop-offs in cities and towns if your community does not offer recycling pick-up. To get started, continue reading to learn about common recyclables and fascinating facts about global recycling!

Common Recyclables

Fortunately, many people do recycle, but are not aware of what they are recycling and why. It is fun and very revealing to learn about the items you recycle, and the contribution it has on the improvement and well-being of our environment.

Newspaper

Recycling newspapers are interesting because when they are recycled, they are reused directly in the printing business again. This is why newspaper needs to be separated and placed in its own recycling bin. All other paper items can be stored in the same bin together; such as junk mail, paper materials, magazines, flyers, posters, and more. Do not recycle cardboard or paper products that are wet, greasy, or coated. They can clog the recycling sorting machine. Only recycle dry materials. Just remember that recycling a 4-foot stack of old newspaper is the equivalent of saving a 40-foot tree!

Plastics

It is important for us to recycle plastics because they cannot naturally breakdown in landfills. Reusing plastic is our only hope for protecting our environment and eliminating waste. Plastics are recycled by numbers, and the type of plastic they are. For example, containers are assigned #1 PET and #2 HDPE, while plastic bags are assigned #4 LDPE, and #7 for mixed plastics. For this reason, be sure to sort your plastics properly to better assist the recycling plant technicians. Be aware that some recycling plants do not accept #6 type plastics; such as egg cartons, cups, food trays, etc. This is because they do not biodegrade. Check first to see if they are accepted, then continue sorting your plastics.

Metal

Foods cans, aluminum foil, copper items and products, paint cans, aerosol spray cans, and more are all common metals recycled every day. It is important to be sure to rinse your food cans before placing them in the recycling bin because excess food and debris can clog sorting machines. Aluminum cans are actually very valuable and highly reusable, so plants ask that we not crush them flat before recycling them. Copper metal is 100% recyclable! Be sure to always recycle copper items, as well as its alloys, bronze and brass. You can even recycle junk cars and receive cash back! Contact a trusted Indianapolis Scrap Metal Recycling Center for details and estimates.

Glass

We recycle glass by sorting them by color. There is green glass, brown glass, and translucent glass (clear). They are commonly referred to as “container” glass. There is no need to remove paper or sticker labeling from glass items before recycling them; they can be left on. Glass bottles and unique glass products must be separated before recycling. Items like light bulbs, mirrors, sheet glass, and Pyrex cannot be recycled with standard glass items.

Indianapolis Metal Recycling

Call Zore’s Recycling at 317-244-0700 for fast and easy metal recycling services in Indianapolis, Indiana. We provide the highest returns on the dollar for sheet metal, old or broken appliances, junk cars, and all other types of recyclable metal. That’s right; we pay cash on the spot for your scrap metal. Not only can you make a benign contribution to your ecosystem, you can make some extra money while doing it! Call 317-244-0700 for more information about making money through scrap metal recycling services in Indianapolis, IN today.